Ed Havranek of Denver puts sunscreen on at the entrance of Colorado National Monument on Sunday, June 16, 2010, during the Ride the Rockies annual cycling event. Some 2,000 cyclists traveled 45 miles of the monument's loop near Grand Junction.

The 100th anniversary of the Colorado National Monument was supposed to be a year dedicated to celebrating this red rock wonder in Grand Junction’s backyard. But so far, controversy seems to be trumping celebration.

There are disagreements about whether the monument should pursue national park status. Even more squabbling has broken out about whether a professional bike race should be allowed to have a stage over the monument. There has even been bickering over the fireworks that lit up the sky over the monument to kick off the centennial year on New Year’s Eve.

It seems that monument superintendent Joan Anzelmo can’t win for losing. She slated the fireworks along with marshmallow toasting and hot chocolate drinking as part of a family-oriented party. Critics charged that the noise and rain of firework detritus probably caused more damage to the fragile ecosystem than any pro bike race would.

Nancy has been covering the diverse news of Western Colorado for three decades, since she migrated to the mountains from the plains of Nebraska. For the past 13 years, she has been a staff writer for The Denver Post, working from a bureau office in Grand Junction. In her spare time, she's been completing a Spanish Literature degree at Mesa State College in Grand Junction and continuing her quest to bike every pass in Colorado.